Seahawks able to overcome Russell Wilson’s one big mistake

Quarterback Russell Wilson’s biggest mistake Sunday didn’t show up in his statistics. It showed up on the scoreboard.

As he attempted to evade the Jets’ pass rush in the first quarter, he had the ball stripped by Mike DeVito. The fumble was fielded on one hop by defensive tackle Muhammad Wilkerson and returned 21 yards for the Jets’ only touchdown.

“I was trying to get ready to go down,” Wilson said, “and the guy just hit the ball out. It was a good play by them.”

And part of a ragged first half for Wilson, who was sacked three times and at times threatened to make a bad situation worse by trying to scramble away from the pressure.

“He tried a little bit too hard,” coach Pete Carroll said. “He has to get down and protect the football first.”

There were no problems when Wilson threw the ball, though. He was 12-for-19 passing for 188 yards and threw a TD to Golden Tate in the first quarter and to Sidney Rice in the fourth.

Turnover Central

Richard Sherman ended the Jets’ best offensive possession when he intercepted Mark Sanchez in the end zone in the second quarter, but it was his fourth-quarter sack and forced fumble that was most satisfying.

“That was my first sack ever so I think the sack today might have been the better play,” he said.

The interception was Sherman’s team-leading fourth this season.

“I was sitting in the flat, waiting for him to throw it, and he tossed it up.”

Running men

The Seahawks were running in place for much of the first half, gaining 52 yards on 19 carries.

“They did some things differently,” Carroll said of the Jets. “We had to adjust.”

They did just that with offensive line coach Tom Cable. The adjustment produced some traction for Marshawn Lynch, who averaged 2.8 yards on 14 carries in the first half and 6.5 on 13 carries after that.

In the bag

Seahawks rookie Bruce Irvin is proof that sacks come in bunches. He had two Sunday, the third game this season with multiple sacks.

“The sacks will come,” he said. “I went three games without one. The football gods know I’ve been working hard, and they blessed me today.”

Irvin has seven sacks, most among NFL rookies. The Jets’ Quinton Coples, who was selected with the next choice after Seattle chose Irvin with the 15th choice of the first round, has two this season.

Memory lane

Mark Sanchez found time to chat before and after the game with Carroll, his former college coach at USC.

“It was great,” Sanchez said. “Just the same as always. He was excited. He asked about my parents and my family, so it was great.”

Showing passion

Rex Ryan apparently gave a fiery postgame address to the Jets.

“It’s passion,” quarterback Tim Tebow said. “It’s real when he talks to the team. We’re grown men, and you’ve got to respond. I think everybody wants to do better for him. He’s definitely a coach you like and want to play for. You see his passion and his belief in this team, and it’s definitely frustrating and tough on a lot of guys to let him down.”